Auburn Police: 'We're going to apprehend him sooner or later'

Tommy Dawson, Auburn Chief of Police, gave a brief statement in which he said the search for Desmonte Leonard is continuing and that Auburn Police have received financial commitments from Auburn University and the City of Montgomery that raise the reward for information leading to Leonard's capture and conviction to $30,000.

Without going in to details, Dawson applauded the efforts of law enforcement in that home off of Barons Court and said that authorities "did exactly as they should have done."

He added that authorities are still at that location and it's still possible Leonard may be inside that home.

"I have no reason to believe that he's anywhere else other than Montgomery, Alabama," said Dawson. "Doesn't matter where he's at. We've got the FBI on this case and US Marshals. As a citizen of Central Alabama, this should be comforting to you that there's this type of response from law enforcement."

Dawson also said he spoke to Leonard's mother yesterday and she assured him that if she contacts him, she'll alert authorities. Ultimately Dawson wanted to stress that while Leonard is on the run, this case is not about him, it's about the victims.

"I won't bring these kids back, but I will do all we can do to make these families comfortable. Let's think not about him, but why we want to locate him...let's remember these families and keep them in our prayers."

Dawson said law enforcement is confident that Leonard will be captured.

"We're going to apprehend him sooner or later," said Dawson. "I implore him to turn himself in."

Anyone with information on Leonard's whereabouts is urged to call the Auburn Police Department Information Hotline at 334-223-5400.

Montgomery Police will have a news briefing at 11:30 a.m. You can watch that live coming up on WSFA and WSFA.com.

Here is this morning's statement from the Montgomery Police Department:

Law enforcement agencies searching for Desmonte Leonard received two independent reports about Mr. Leonard's location: one individual reported having dropped him off at that residence, and then a 911 call indicating that the subject was inside. At the scene officers detected what they believed to be sounds of human occupation inside the residence … what was described as movement and coughing. With the combined weight of that information we mobilized all assets to conduct an inch-by-inch search. We have not terminated the scene at this point and will remain on site until we are 100 percent certain.

In conjunction with the search, we also are engaged in investigative measures. Two individuals have already been arrested for hindering prosecution, and we will vigorously pursue any individual who provides false or misleading information to law enforcement with regard to Mr. Leonard's whereabouts.

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